This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Significance

Superhydrophobic surfaces have been of key academic and commercial interest since the discovery of the so-called lotus effect in 1977. The effect of different ions on complex superhydrophobic biological systems, however, has received little attention. By bringing together ecology, biomechanics, physics, and chemistry our study provides insight into the ion-specific effects of wetting in the presence of sodium carbonate and its large-scale consequences. By comparing the surface structure and chemistry of the alkali fly—an important food source for migrating birds—to other species we show that their uniquely hydrophobic properties arise from very small physical and chemical changes, thereby connecting picoscale physics with globally important ecological impacts.

Abstract

The remarkable alkali fly, Ephydra hians, deliberately crawls into the alkaline waters of Mono Lake to feed and lay eggs. These diving flies are protected by an air bubble that forms around their superhydrophobic cuticle upon entering the lake. To study the physical mechanisms underlying this process we measured the work required for flies to enter and leave various aqueous solutions. Our measurements show that it is more difficult for the flies to escape from Mono Lake water than from fresh water, due to the high concentration of Na2CO3 which causes water to penetrate and thus wet their setose cuticle. Other less kosmotropic salts do not have this effect, suggesting that the phenomenon is governed by Hofmeister effects as well as specific interactions between ion pairs. These effects likely create a small negative charge at the air–water interface, generating an electric double layer that facilitates wetting. Compared with six other species of flies, alkali flies are better able to resist wetting in a 0.5 M Na2CO3 solution. This trait arises from a combination of factors including a denser layer of setae on their cuticle and the prevalence of smaller cuticular hydrocarbons compared with other species. Although superbly adapted to resisting wetting, alkali flies are vulnerable to getting stuck in natural and artificial oils, including dimethicone, a common ingredient in sunscreen and other cosmetics. Mono Lake’s alkali flies are a compelling example of how the evolution of picoscale physical and chemical changes can allow an animal to occupy an entirely new ecological niche.

Footnotes

Author contributions: F.v.B. and M.H.D. designed research; F.v.B. and M.H.D. performed research; F.v.B. and M.H.D. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; F.v.B. analyzed data; and F.v.B. and M.H.D. wrote the paper.

Researchers report evidence of microbial activity in the hyperarid Atacama Desert and raise the possibility that other harsh environments, such as Mars, may contain microbes similarly adapted to dry conditions.